Elizabeth Banks | Fast Lane Film

I’m reluctant to admit when some of my favorite actors or actresses fail to deliver. This time, it’s the flavor du jour, Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook). I adore her as much as everyone else does, don’t get me wrong. Her unassuming demeanor and down-to-earth personality make her a breath of fresh air in Hollywood, not to mention her undeniable talent. That being said, her presence wasn’t enough to elevate The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to my lofty expectations.

When we last saw Katniss Everdeen, she had emerged victorious from The Hunger Games alongside Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, The Kids Are All Right). Both temporarily left their lives in District 12 behind as they fought to survive in a Darwinian cage match. Pulling the strings was President Snow (Donald Sutherland, Horrible Bosses), a subtly nefarious plutocrat who kept the majority of the citizenry under his thumb after a failed uprising. When Peeta and Katniss return home to District 12 things are bleaker than ever, as people scramble for essential resources. President Snow wanted to use the Hunger Games as a twisted tool of both oppression and inspiration, as participation is involuntary, yet contestants are expected to fight proudly on behalf of their district.

Snow recognizes Katniss’ influence, and feels threatened by its implications for his own stranglehold on the populace. He doesn’t want another uprising and must smite Katniss’ influence before she galvanizes the people. He mandates that the next Hunger Games will be comprised solely of past champions. Talk about the odds not being in your favor. Once again Peeta and Katniss must battle to the death, only this time their competition is infinitely more formidable. Katniss’ team of Haymitch (Woody Harrelson, Now You See Me), Cinna (Lenny Kravitz, Lee Daniels’ The Butler), and Effie (Elizabeth Banks, Movie 43) try their best to prepare she and Peeta for the challenges that lay ahead, though Katniss is overly protective of Peeta, perhaps feeling guilty for not completely returning his feelings. They must form new alliances if they want to survive; yet Katniss senses that the stakes are even higher this time.

I haven’t read the books on which the movies are based, and perhaps that explains some of my opinions regarding this sequel. I was very intrigued by the concept of a “best of the best” Hunger Games, but the actual competition portion of the movie didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I won’t elaborate too much, so as not to spoil it for you, but I don’t think the competitive dynamic between contestants was as exciting as it could’ve been. I also thought the movie ended very abruptly and left me wanting more. This was odd, considering the lengthy run time – but a friend explained to me that the book ends equally abruptly. Oh.

Finally, we come to Ms. Lawrence. Save for one scene, I wasn’t that impressed with her performance. She was beautiful and striking as Katniss, but the actual quality of her performance left me wanting more – and I know she’s capable of it because I’ve seen it. I’ll give you a small example, and feel free to disagree. If you’re supposed to be crying – I expect your face to be dampened with tears. I think that’s a simple expectation, but it’s one that wasn’t met here. I’m still in the tank for J-Law, but maybe she needs weightier material like Winter’s Bone to truly flourish. I look for her turn in American Hustle to make me forget I ever faulted her abilities. Final verdict? The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was pretty good. Not great. Grade: B.

Lots of factors play into my decision whether or not to see a particular movie. Sometimes the story itself looks intriguing, like Limitless or the recent Chronicle. Other times, it’s the director that draws me in. I’ll go see an M. Night Shyamalan movie just off GP, because I’m a fan. More often than not though, it’s the cast that attracts me. I like Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans), so when I belatedly heard about Man on a Ledge, I didn’t need much convincing.

Worthington stars as Nick Cassidy, a former police officer wrongly convicted of stealing a priceless gem from Wall Street titan David Englander, played by a scary-looking Ed Harris (Appaloosa). Englander framed Cassidy, who was disgraced after being sentenced to prison. After being denied parole, Nick decides to take desperate action to clear his name. I won’t reveal the elaborate ruse that takes place, but lets just say that he devises a plan to escape from prison and soon he’s a fugitive. Everything that happens next is all part of a carefully designed plan to exonerate Nick while finding out which other cops on the force helped set him up with Englander. He enlists the help of Officer Lydia Mercer, (Elizabeth Banks, The Next Three Days) who is called in to talk him off the ledge. Ah, the ledge. Why is Nick on the ledge, and how can that help him clear his name? Well, if I told you all that I’d spoil the movie wouldn’t I? While Nick is on the ledge he forms a cautious bond with Mercer. A recent mistake in the course of duty has caused her to lose favor with her peers on the force, just as Nick did when he went to prison. This bond proves useful, because when the you-know-what hits the fan, Mercer is Nick’s only ally.

I think a lot of people are reluctant to see this movie because it seems familiar, or one note. It’s a little smarter than that though. It was relatively suspenseful throughout, and certain elements of the movie made it a solid caper. Worthington let his natural Australian accent creep in a few times, but other than that he gave an earnest performance as the unlikely villain turned hero. Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau) and Edward Burns also make appearances. I wasn’t blown away by any one particular performance, but this wasn’t that kind of movie. It was more plot-driven than character-driven, though the cast was more than capable. I enjoyed the way it all unfolded, and by the time it’s over we see that Nick had a very strategic plan in place, using his law enforcement experience to predict everyone else’s moves. The movie even offers a slight commentary on society (or at least jaded New Yorkers) by showing the perverse fascination with which passersby watch Nick, rooting for him to jump. Was this movie deep and twisty like The Usual Suspects or as clever as Inside Man? Of course not, but sometimes a distant second is good enough. You won’t be blown away, but you won’t be disappointed either. Wow. I just read the previous sentence and that was a lukewarm endorsement LOL. I’ll put it in better terms: Grade B